Preceptorship

[sweetsleep28]

I'm the 3-11 LPN on a highly acute skilled wing of the LTC that I work for. Yesterday I went to work and was told that I was to be a preceptor for a new graduate LPN who hasn't taken her boards. I know that we all had to start somewhere and being chosen to be a preceptor is not necessarily my issue. What bothers me is the fact that I was not asked or even told in advance that I was to be a preceptor. My unit is very demanding and it takes every minute of my 8 hours there to get my work done and to keep my resident well taken care of. So I guess what I'm asking, how can I be a good preceptor to this GN while still getting my own work done? What makes a good preceptor? I've never done this before and honestly I'm a little bit worried about my reputation at work. I don't want to be one of those nurses who "eat their young", but the high acuity of my unit makes it very difficult. Maybe I'm wrong in thinking that my facility should have given me a little bit of a heads up, so that I maybe could have formed a game plan. Any advice on how to be/give a good preceptorship, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Fiona59]

I'm guessing that you are in the US and non-union?

How it works in my province of Alberta is that preceptors are required to attend a one day information course at the local college. They are then given a packet of documentation to complete on their student. There is also a payment involved. For some reason, the great sum of $0.60/hr comes to mind for every hour they have the student.

Usually we chat with the student, find out what they percieve to be their weakness are and what they need to work on to feel safe when they work independently. The first day they usually stick to us like glue but delegate the simple stuff until you get a "feel" for them. By the end of their time with you they should be able to handle the work load a new hire was given.

In my time as a student, that meant five acute care patients, their meds, wound care, etc on a day shift.

Hope you can use some of this.

[aspyer]

In the facility in which I work this is considered a blessing and a curse because this responsibility falls on the nurses that the facility considers to be the strong nurse on the shift.So the blessing is that they appreciate the job that you do the curse is that with you being good at your job means you get additional responsibilities because of it or and we get no financial compensation for this. Just continue being the best at what you do and pass that on to someone else remember how tough it was for you in the beginning.Remember thin new nurse will never forget the first nurse he or she worked with make it a positive experience.

[PatriciaMyers]

I am a LPN that need a preceptoership course , are there any located in savannah area .

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

The preceptorship courses are generally provided by one's employer.